| Modern Paint Ball guns were a natural progression | | | | formulation for soft gelatin capsules" - a Paintball bullet |
| from a 'Ping Pong Gun' that was used by many young | | | | recipe (U.S. patent 4,634,606 granted January 6, 1987.) |
| 'Warriors' in the 1950's. This 'Toy' would fire Ping Pong | | | | The fluid when packaged in a soft gelatin capsule |
| balls under air pressure. A hit wasn't as painful as a | | | | produced projectiles that were more accurate and |
| modern unprotected 'Paintball' hit, because of the | | | | stable and made bright, highly visible marks that could |
| deceleration of the very light projectile. | | | | be easily washed out with water and/or detergent and |
| Then the Daisy Manufacturing Company of 'BB Gun' | | | | were ideally suitable for use in the sports and games |
| fame came up with the first Paint Ball Gun. The first | | | | exercises. Skogg worked for the Nelson Paint |
| Paint Ball gun was invented (1970) and patented by a | | | | Company and this patent became the Nelson recipe |
| Daisy Employee, James Hale (U.S. patent 3,788, 298 | | | | for Paintballs. |
| issued on January 29, 1974.) with the original intent of | | | | LET'S GET ORGANIZED |
| use by the Forest Service and ranchers marking trees | | | | In 1988 The IPPA (International Paintball Players |
| for harvest and cattle for selection. The first gun | | | | Association) was founded. This is a non-profit |
| actually designed for playing Paintball was the | | | | association dedicated to the education, growth and |
| Splatmaster invented by Robert G Shepherd. This U.S. | | | | safety of the sport of paintball. During the period |
| patent number 4,531,503 was issued to Shepherd on | | | | 1992-1993 NPPL (National Professional Paintball League |
| July 30, 1985. | | | | ) was founded and the NPPL Pro-Am Series began |
| The Forestry version (Nel-spot 007 pistols) was used | | | | with paint ball gear site tournaments set up in Reno, |
| in a game of 'Capture the Flag' in 1981, boys will be | | | | New York, Boston, and other cities around the U.S.. |
| boys. By 1982 some of the entrepreneurial players | | | | It was inevitable that television would become involved. |
| from that 'Capture the Flag' game, started National | | | | How could it 'NOT' be included. In 1993 ESPN aired it's |
| Survival Games (NSG) and opening paint ball fields. | | | | filming of the NPPL 'DC Cup' from Bowie, Maryland, |
| Charles Gaines, founded NSG. PMI (Pursuit Marketing | | | | organized by the PCRI (Paintball Ratings and |
| Inc.) was founded for the distribution and marketing of | | | | Competitions International). As interest expanded in |
| Paint Ball products and paint ball gear sites. Caleb | | | | 1996 ESPN aired the ESPN World Championships of |
| Strong opened the first outdoor paintball gear site in | | | | Paintball from Orlando, Florida. |
| 1982 in upstate New York. Being in upstate New York, | | | | And of course the Internet would become a venue. In |
| Caleb also opened the first indoor paintball gear site in | | | | 1994 Warpig introduced the first internet paintball gear |
| Buffalo in 1984. | | | | site. |
| The early marketing of the new sport included articles | | | | The game has exploded into a multimillion-dollar sport |
| written by quite a few of those early players and | | | | with amateur and professional tournaments across the |
| published in Sports Illustrated and other sports genre. | | | | United States and Europe. Paintball Gear Sites are |
| Once established it was only natural to set up a | | | | opening every day now, all over the world. Cash |
| Championship Contest. This was done in 1983 at a | | | | purses and prizes in the hundreds of thousands of |
| paint ball gear site with a purse of $14,000 cash. The | | | | dollars are involved. Daisy (manufacturer of pellets, |
| sport also went international in 1983 with the opening of | | | | B.B.s and air guns), Crossman (manufacturer of |
| an outdoor paintball gear site in Toronto. | | | | airguns), Scott USA (manufacturer of ski poles and |
| More International Venues were added beginning with | | | | goggles) and JT USA (manufacturer of motocross |
| Australia in 1984, France and Denmark in 1991 with the | | | | safety equipment) are just a few of the companies |
| rest of Europe soon to follow. An indoor paintball gear | | | | that have expanded into paintball paraphernalia and |
| site was erected in England by 1985. | | | | equipment. Sponsors of modern tournaments include |
| I'm sure quite a few Wives, Mothers and anyone who | | | | companies such as Budweiser and Pepsi-Cola and |
| does their own laundry are grateful to George A. | | | | who know's what's next. (Toy's r Us, Ruger). |
| Skogg who in 1987 patented a "washable marking fluid | | | | Copyright © 2006 C. R. |